Units of the 28th Division's 83rd Brigade - 3rd Monmouthshire, 2nd King's Own (Royal Lancaster) and 1st Suffolk regiments (together with the 2nd Cheshires of 84th Brigade) occupying the exposed front line trenches on the forward slopes of the Ridge felt the full force of the devastating German bombardment and great numbers of defenders were killed or wounded. Following the successful third German assault the surviving British troops retired circa 400 yards to support trenches on the reverse slopes of the Ridge and continued to offer the most determined resistance to the attacking forces. (Note that between 23 April and 8 May the six battalions of 83rd Brigade lost 128 officers and 4,379 other ranks, killed, wounded or missing).